The jet made a conservative pass above the runway at Le Bourget Airport here, forsaking the steep ascents and sharply banked turns common as manufacturers show off the abilities of their aircraft. For a look at the event, check CNET's photo gallery of the A350 XWB flyover at the Paris Air Show.

The Airbus A350 XWB -- short for extra-wide body -- competes with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, another two-aisle passenger jet designed to cut fuel costs for workhorse airline routes. The Dreamliner, though grounded temporarily after battery problems earlier this year, has a multi-year headstart.

During the Paris Air Show, though, Airbus parent company EADS got some good news: $21.4 billion in commitments from customers who plan to buy 69 of A350 jets. The new orders came from Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Air France-KLM, and Sri Lankan, Airbus said.

The French company also got some publicity when French President Francois Hollande arrived at the show on the company's A400M, a hulking four-engine airlifter for military customers. Airbus took in $68.7 billion total in orders for new aircraft, doubtless welcome news in a country afflicted by the European economic malaise.

About the author

Stephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and covers browsers, Web development, digital photography and new technology. In the past he has been CNET's beat reporter for Google, Yahoo, Linux, open-source software, servers and supercomputers. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces.
See full bio